Every year the Paris and the Tokyo MoUs jointly conduct a CIC on a specific aspect on the safety of shipping. In response to incidents related to incorrect loading conditions or missing intact stability documentation, the 2020 CIC would have focused on ‘Stability (in general)’; however, due to COVID-19 it was postponed. This year, it has been confirmed that the CIC on ‘Stability (in general)’ will be carried out by the Paris and Tokyo MoUs from 1 September 2021 to 30 November 2021. The Black Sea, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Riyadh ...

As a mutual provider of insurance cover, TT Club’s primary mission is the reduction of risk in the international supply chain. Succinct communication on a broad spectrum of relevant safety and security matters is of foremost importance in achieving this aim in an industry which is multi-national and multi-cultural. The latest communication device that TT has launched is TT Brief. These two-sided infographic-style advice sheets are aimed at specific risks, for example fraud and road safety, and also include guidance on general good practice to avoid loss, such as attention ...

Seafarer wellbeing has been a focal topic for Standard Club in recent years, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and we are always heartened when we see other organisations echoing this belief and doing more for seafarers in this aspect. Mental Health Support Solutions have recently published a new pocket book on A Guide to Mental Health at Sea. Specifically targeted at seafarers, it will present seafarers with helpful tips and easy ways to improve their wellbeing on board and ashore. Through simple methods, theories and illustrations seafarers can learn how ...

To the Members of The Shipowners’ Mutual Strike Insurance Association Europe In accordance with our duties as Directors of The Shipowners’ Mutual Strike Insurance Association Europe (“Strike Insurance Europe”), we hereby present the statutory accounts for the year ended 20 February 2021. The technical account shows a profit of $99.898, with an overall profit of $13.579, compared with the period ended 2020 which produced a technical loss of $1.727.742, with an overall loss of $1.775.484. Gross calls, before reinsurance, decreased from $21.048.177 in 2020 to $586.321 in 2021 and gross ...

Sophia Bullard, Crew Health Director at UK P&I Club, discusses hernias, their impact on crew and the disruptive effects on seafarers’ lives: “A hernia develops when a section of the intestine, or other tissue in the abdomen, pushes through a layer of muscle that has become weakened. In seafarers we see this weakness in the muscles due to ageing, being overweight, bowel problems such as constipation or most commonly, by lifting things that are too heavy. This causes repeated strain on the muscles which then leads to weakness and potential ...

Seafarer wellbeing has been a focal topic for Standard Club in recent years, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and we are proud to be working in partnership with Sailors’ Society’s Wellness at Sea programme, sharing helpful advice and resources over a period of 27 weeks. What happens when life spirals out of control? From time to time an event or series of events can leave us feeling depleted and overwhelmed. Whether something happens to a loved-one or yourself – a sudden illness, an accident, living within a pandemic, or natural ...

The club previously published an artice on the ‘sampling of fuel oil used on board (PSC enforcement criteria)’. This article was published based on the outcome of the 74th session of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC-74). During MEPC-75 meeting, that was held in November-2020, new amendments to MARPOL Annex VI were adopted through Resolution MEPC.324(75). These amendments will enter into force on 1 April 2022. It introduces new requirements for fuel oil sampling points and outline methods for sampling fuel oil to validate its sulphur content. Fuel oil samples ...

The international freight transport organisations of the Cargo Integrity Group are calling for urgent action from actors in global supply chains to reduce the risk of pest transference through international cargo movements. The five partners[i] in the Cargo Integrity Group, known as CIG, recognise the vital importance of focusing on the threat of invasive pests to natural resources across the world, and of the urgency in crafting risk reduction measures that address the situation. This call to action[ii] follows the intentions by pest control experts under the auspices of the ...

Richard Heppell has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer Designate for Tindall Riley & Co Limited and Britannia P&I. Richard joins on 6 September, having recently served as the CFO for Neon, the specialist insurer and Lloyd’s managing agent. “We are delighted that Richard is joining us as Chief Financial Officer Designate. Richard brings a wealth of experience having held several senior financial positions in the insurance industry which will be of great benefit to our business and to our Members”, said Andrew Cutler, Chief Executive Officer, Britannia P&I. Richard, ...

A series of major loss events involving container ships in recent months — including a sudden surge in containers lost overboard in the North Pacific region in late 2020 and early 2021, the grounding of the Ever Given in the Suez Canal in March and a fire that destroyed the X-Press Pearl off the coast of Sri Lanka in June — has highlighted the risks to companies that insure ever-larger vessels. Efforts are underway to stem rising insurance claims from such accidents, but it could take years to make an ...

Members have been previously advised on the Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) season 2021 that usually starts from late May to September. Please see the link below for the detailed guidance on port-of-entry processes at countries that are regulating and inspecting vessels for AGM. The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Port of New Orleans has recently issued notice no. 21-035 to advise the maritime industry of the importance of foreign AGM free certification inspections. The CBP New Orleans recommends that all vessels that called ports in AGM region during ...

Transport Canada recently issued new Ballast Water Regulations (SOR/2021-120) which are now in force. The Regulations apply to Canadian vessels everywhere and to foreign vessels that are in waters under Canadian jurisdiction. The new Regulations give effect to Canada’s obligations under the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments 2004. The Regulations impose requirements based on the vessel’s length, ballast water capacity, date of construction and area of operation. While the earlier Ballast Water Control and Management Regulations are repealed, the new Regulations maintain ...

Our guest authors from US Law Firm, Holland and Knight, explain the background and potential reach of President Biden’s executive order that calls for improved detention and demurrage practices for container traffic, along with the Federal Maritime Commission increased scrutiny of liner alliances with respect to enforcement of antitrust laws and shipping regulations. Cargo congestion has reached historic proportions during the COVID-19 pandemic as the demand for imports by U.S. consumers and businesses has skyrocketed combined with an increase in operational disruptions. The effect has been felt across global supply ...

It has been 14 years since the approaches to Georgian ports have been governed by ‘Presidential Order No. 380’. Fines against vessels for violation of this order, in particular for crossing the boundaries of established channels and Traffic Separation Schemes, continue to be imposed. We have been advised that between 10 to 15 vessels are levied with fines for breaching this order in Georgian waters every year. At times, masters are required to transit extremely narrow channels under adverse weather conditions, whilst being closely monitored by local VTS for any ...

On 2 July 2021, the US Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit agreed to reconsider en banc the personal jurisdiction issue presented in the case of Douglass v. Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK). The rehearing en banc means all active judges of the Fifth Circuit will consider and decide the test for assessing whether a US federal court has jurisdiction in a maritime case over a foreign defendant to adjudicate claims which are otherwise not connected to the forum. The decision once issued will be binding on the federal ...